Hey! So I was just wondering, I have a indoor cat in my household, who barely eats to the point its very worrisome. She was once a feral cat, who got caught and sent to the rescue we got her from. Now she's terrified of everyone and everything, she wont even step out onto the deck to get fresh air, and I really worry about her. I dont know if you can help, your one of the most helpful blogs i follow, so i just wanted to ask. Thanks!
Feral cats can be really difficult to work with, or rather, they can take a lot of time adjusting to a house cat life style. They usually need a lot of quiet and patience, and can take a long time to learn to trust their new people and new home. Not eating very well is concerning, since most (but not all) feral cats I’ve worked with tend to eat anything put in front of them. But they almost never eat while someone is around to see them do it. I would suggest giving her multiple options, probably a dry food and a wet food, and put it in a quiet, low traffic area of your house (a room that’s not used, or a closet even, where she can feel like she’s hiding while she’s back there). You may have to try several different flavors and brands of food until you find something appealing to her. Sometimes the type of bowl can be a bit of an issue, too, since feral cats aren’t always used to using a bowl. Try a shallow dish, or a plate even; something she doesn’t have to stick her head down into. Since she used to be feral, unless your deck is screened in and secure, I wouldn’t try to take her outside yet, in case she got started and tried to bolt. It would be better to make sure she’s completely comfortable and feels secure in her home, first. Adding lots of hiding places can help; cat trees that give her high vantage points, boxes she can lay in, etc. There’s also a product called feliway that might we worth looking into. I hear mixed opinions on it’s effectiveness, but it’s supposed to mimic pheromones that cats produce to make the space around them feel familiar and safe. I only mention it because at one point, my three cats that have lived together for 7 years without issue randomly started getting into a lot of fights that weren’t just play and we couldn’t figure out why, so as a last resort, we got the above linked product and saw a noticeable decline in fighting. It might be worth looking into. It would probably work best if you put it in the room where you’re putting her food.
But really, the best advice I can give is just to be patient with her. Don’t push her boundaries; let her hide is she wants, let her come to you if she wants to be petted, try not to make fast motions or loud noises around her that might startle her. Just try to make her a safe space and give her time.
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